Wendi Murdoch’s Chinese New Year
Asiance met TV executive and film producer Wendi Murdoch at an event Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, www.Ahalife.com and www.cultureli.com hosted celebrating a bracelet Ivanka Trump designed and Wendi Murdoch curated for the United Nation’s Foundation Girl Up Campaign. The Foundation works to improve the lives of the world’s girls. The bracelet Ivanka created for the campaign features a sterling silver chain and a coral silk cord joined by two charms in sterling silver—the Girl Up bird and the Ivanka Trump logo. It’s a design that embodies the Girl Up goal of uniting girls everywhere.
“I donate 100 percent of net proceeds from sales of the Girl Up bracelet directly back to the campaign,” she says. “We help provide basic needs such as access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, safety from violence and more for these young girls.” Which makes this a fine legacy piece, too.
Mrs. Murdoch has become one of the most prominent Asian women in business faces, globally. She was Vice President of News Corporation’s Asian satellite television operation, STAR. News Corporation is one of the world’s largest and most diversified media companies, with operations in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Basin.
Mrs. Murdoch holds a MBA from Yale University’s School of Management and a BA in Economics from California State University at Northridge in Los Angeles. She serves on the Boards of the Fund for Public Schools, created by the New York City Department of Education to support public schools. Mrs. Murdoch is married to News Corporation’s chairman, Rupert Murdoch. The couple has two daughters, Grace Helen Murdoch (born 2001) and Chloe Murdoch (born 2005).
Of course, Wendi and her family incorporate her Chinese heritage into Chinese New Year traditions here in the United States. We caught a glimpse!
ASIANCE: What did you do for Chinese New year?
Wendi: Last week we made dumplings with my 2 children and then went to their school to talk about Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rabbit and the story behind it. We had a lion dancing with my 7 year old. There were about 25 girls.
ASIANCE: What are you looking forward to for Fashion Week?
Wendi: I always look forward to seeing what’s coming out that’s new, but I don’t really have time to go to all the shows. I’ll go to my friend’s shows like Thakoon or Prabal Gurung. I always help them and order. I wish I had more time to look into all the shows.
ASIANCE: What are you doing for awards season? Are you going to the Academy Awards?
Wendi: I’m going to have a few dresses sent to me. I haven’t gone shopping yet.
ASIANCE: What year are you?
Wendi: The Year of the Monkey. Every year is good. It’s what you make of it.
ASIANCE: What do you think is in store for the Year of the Rabbit?
Wendi: It’s the year to spend with your family and it’s a good year to start a business as its gold this year too. Chinese always want luck & money.
ASIANCE: What are some of your favorite trends?
Wendi: Glamorous dresses and I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard. Also, now you can be really creative how you express yourself. I’m looking for interesting designs where you can’t tell who the designer is. I like Guo Pei in Beijing who does custom couture and dresses a lot of the Chinese actresses. Chinese love the luxury brands. I think now Chinese women love the same designers as women all over the world. The concept of Chinese goods as being cheap is starting to change. There are a lot of sophisticated shoppers.
ASIANCE: What are you working on now?
Wendi: I’m producing a movie about two girls’ friendship now. It’s a universal theme, and also you can see the new China, the new fashion with high heels. The old China was only 100 years ago, where women had no power and bound feet. The movie is coming out in July and will be released in the US and China at the same time and will star Li Bing Bing. It’s a women’s film.
Wendi and Ivanka are such great role-models for young girls and women everywhere with their work on the United Nation’s Foundation Girl Up Campaign.
I cannot wait to see Wendi’s inspirational film debut this Spring! What a beautiful story about the friendship between two girls! Everyone should make an effort to see it.
Ivanka is a very talented jewelry designer and is doing such wonderful work to support young girls by donating the proceeds of her gorgeous Girl Up bracelets to support the UN Foundation Girl Up Campaign.